(LOS ANGELES, May 13, 2008) — Gas prices climbed more than 20 cents in a month to set new records throughout the region, with six cities reaching an average of $4 per gallon or more, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California monthly Fuel Gauge Report.
The Southern California May average price for regular self-serve gasoline set a new all-time record monthly high of $3.928, up from $3.718 on April 8, which was the previous all-time Southern California monthly record price. The new record is 44 cents higher than the 2007 record of $3.486, set in May of last year.
California’s state average price of 3.939 – a new record for the third month in a row – is 21.6 cents higher than last month’s average. The state’s lowest average price is in Whittier, where regular sells for $3.795. Six cities in Southern California – Bishop, Blythe, Del Mar, El Centro, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria – now have an average price for regular gasoline at or above $4 per gallon. Yreka and Tahoe City share the state’s highest average price - $4.100.
Nationally, the average price is $3.732, up from $3.331 in March. Alaska now has the highest state average at $3.983 and Wyoming has the lowest state average price, at $3.522.
“We saw a short plateau of prices in March and we’re seeing another one right now, but rising oil prices make it difficult to determine whether or not this plateau is the peak in the spring price climb, “ said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “Persistently high oil prices and a cutback in production levels seem to offset the declines in demand that we’ve seen in recent months.”
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
County/City | Reg 5-13 | Reg 4-8 | Pre 5-13 | Pre 4-8 |
Imperial County | ||||
El Centro | 4.025 | 3.726 | 4.059 | 3.967 |
Inyo County | ||||
Bishop | 4.011 | 3.726 | 4.106 | 3.906 |
Kern County | ||||
Bakersfield | 3.899 | 3.637 | 4.064 | 3.784 |
Ridgecrest | 3.977 | 3.699 | 4.259 | 3.879 |
Los Angeles County | ||||
Alhambra | 3.879 | 3.679 | 4.076 | 3.829 |
Arcadia | 3.881 | 3.732 | 4.159 | 3.939 |
Burbank | 3.935 | 3.721 | 4.114 | 3.902 |
Culver City | 3.939 | 3.747 | 4.119 | 3.899 |
Glendale | 3.943 | 3.738 | 4.138 | 3.950 |
Glendora | 3.846 | 3.637 | 4.036 | 3.817 |
Inglewood | 3.860 | 3.688 | 4.072 | 3.869 |
Lancaster | 3.927 | 3.721 | 4.121 | 3.949 |
Long Beach | 3.877 | 3.672 | 4.060 | 3.858 |
Los Angeles | 3.927 | 3.730 | 4.119 | 3.932 |
Manhattan Beach | 3.958 | 3.767 | 4.154 | 3.939 |
Montebello | 3.843 | 3.668 | 4.073 | 3.839 |
Santa Clarita | 3.927 | 3.689 | 4.109 | 3.906 |
Santa Monica | 3.940 | 3.757 | 4.119 | 3.946 |
Van Nuys | 3.870 | 3.711 | 4.076 | 3.896 |
Whittier | 3.795 | 3.605 | 3.974 | 3.812 |
Woodland Hills | 3.932 | 3.778 | 4.076 | 3.929 |
Orange County | ||||
Anaheim | 3.844 | 3.616 | 4.047 | 3.841 |
Fullerton | 3.823 | 3.634 | 4.028 | 3.819 |
Huntington Beach | 3.874 | 3.651 | 4.017 | 3.852 |
La Habra | 3.804 | 3.601 | 3.965 | 3.795 |
Laguna Beach | 3.979 | 3.752 | 4.199 | 3.932 |
Newport Beach | 3.959 | 3.766 | 4.164 | 3.995 |
San Clemente | 3.955 | 3.724 | 4.149 | 3.895 |
Tustin | 3.914 | 3.675 | 4.121 | 3.912 |
Riverside County | ||||
Blythe | 4.036 | 3.869 | 4.379 | 4.049 |
Hemet | 3.886 | 3.691 | 4.084 | 3.844 |
Palm Springs | 3.911 | 3.690 | 4.132 | 3.912 |
Riverside | 3.905 | 3.698 | 4.088 | 3.851 |
San Bernardino County | ||||
Redlands | 3.942 | 3.703 | 4.150 | 3.909 |
San Bernardino | 3.903 | 3.686 | 4.078 | 3.819 |
Victorville | 3.925 | 3.722 | 4.086 | 3.891 |
San Diego County | ||||
Chula Vista | 3.924 | 3.711 | 4.102 | 3.892 |
Del Mar | 4.041 | 3.801 | 4.199 | 3.981 |
Escondido | 3.933 | 3.708 | 4.121 | 3.889 |
Oceanside | 3.950 | 3.717 | 4.145 | 3.894 |
San Diego | 3.944 | 3.728 | 4.136 | 3.933 |
San Luis Obispo County | ||||
San Luis Obispo | 3.993 | 3.869 | 4.183 | 4.044 |
Santa Barbara County | ||||
Lompoc | 3.923 | 3.730 | 4.073 | 3.910 |
Santa Barbara | 4.050 | 3.854 | 4.285 | 4.112 |
Santa Maria | 4.009 | 3.809 | 4.229 | 3.999 |
Tulare County | ||||
Porterville | 3.996 | 3.749 | 3.999 | 3.929 |
Visalia | 3.976 | 3.753 | 4.156 | 4.087 |
Ventura County | ||||
Ventura | 3.952 | 3.747 | 4.146 | 3.962 |
So. Calif. Avg. | 3.928 | 3.718 | 4.116 | 3.910 |